UNIVERSITY 


YOUNG    AMERICA  : 


ff«ra. 


FITZ-GREENE    HALLECK 


UNIVERSITY 


NEW  YORK: 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY, 

443   &  445  BROADWAY. 

1865. 


6**"- 


ENTERED,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1864,  by 
D.  APPLETON  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District 
New  York. 


UNIVERSITY 


TOUE"G  AMEKIOA. 


IT  is  a  EOT  whom  fourteen  years  have  seen, 
Smiling,  with  them,  on  Spring's  returning 

green, 

A  bonny  boy,  with  eye-delighting  eyes, 
Sparkling  as  stars,  and  blue  as  summer's  skies, 


12  YOUNG  AMERICA. 

With  face,  like  April's  bright  in  smiles  or 

tears, 

His  laugh  a  song — his  step  the  forest  deer's, 
"With  heart  as  pure  and  liberal  as  the  air, 
And  voice  of  sweetest  tone,  and  bright  gold  hair 
In  thick  curls  clustering  round  his  even  brow, 
And  dimpled  cheek — how  calm  he  slumbers 

now ! 


The  sentry  stars  in  heaven's  blue  above, 
Sleep  their  sweet  daybreak  sleep,  their  watch 

withdrawn, 

And  lovely  as  a  bride  from  dream  of  love, 
Blushing   and  blooming,  wakes  the  summer 

dawn ; 
Winds — woods — and  waters  of  the  brook  and 

bay 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  13 

"Wake  at  the  fanning  of  the  wings  of  day, 
And  birds  and  bells,  in  garden,  tree,  and  tower, 
Bow  to  the  bidding  of  the  wakening  hour, 
And   breathe,   the    Hamlet's    happy    homes 

among 
Morn's  fragrant  music  from  their  lips  of  Song. 

Within  the  loveliest  of  wayside  bowers, 

The  summer  home    of  loveliest  leaves  and 

flowers, 
Cradled  on  rose-leaves,  curtained  round  with 

vines, 

And  canopied  by  branches  of  a  tree 
Whose  buds  and  blossoms  charm  the  wander 
ing  bee, 

In  deep  and  dreaming  sleep  the  youth  re 
clines. 


14:  YOUNG  AMEEICA. 

Sunbeams,  wind-cooled,  their  fond  caressing 

glow, 

Twine,  with  leaf-shadows,  the  green  roof  be 
low, 

In  wedded  love-clasp  of  sweet  shade  and  light, 
The  enwoven  harmony  of  the  dark  and  bright, 
And  blend  within,  around  it,  and  above, 
Their  balm,  their  bloom,  their  beauty,  and 

their  joy, 
Their  watching — sleepless    as    the    brooding 

dove, 

Their  bounty — boundless  as  the  fairy  love 
Of  Queen  Titania  for  her  Henchman  Boy. 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  15 


n. 

The  doors  are  open  in  the  house  of  prayer, 
The  morning  worshippers  are  kneeling  there 
In  supplicating  harmony,  beneath 
The  intoning  organ's  incense-bearing  breath, 
That  aids  their  hymning  voices,  and  around 
Moves  in  the  might  and  majesty  of  sound. 
The  pages  of  the  Holy  Book  are  read, 
The  solemn  blessing  of  the  Priest  is  said, 
Departing  footsteps  gently  press  the  floor, 
And  silence  seals  and  guards  the  consecrated 
door. 


16  YOUNG  AMERICA. 

Along  his  homeward  pathway,  lingering  slow, 
His  dark  weeds  tokening  a  mourner's  woe, 
The  Gospel-Teacher    comes.     The    path    in 
clines 

His  steps  beside  the  cradle  bower  of  vines 
Where  sleeps  the  boy.    A  moment's  mute  sur 
prise, 
And  the  mazed  mourner  greets,  with  grateful 


The  enlivening  presence  of  that  cherub  face, 
Delighted  in  its  loveliness  to  trace 
The  memorial  beauty  of  his  own  lost  boy, 
A  blossomed  bud,  death-doomed,  in  its  spring 
time  of  joy ; 

And  says,  in  whispers,  "  Would  that  I  might 
wake, 


YOUNG   AMERICA.  17 

And  woo,  and  win  him,  for  his  soul's  sweet 

sake, 

To  make  my  home  his  cloister,  and  entwine 
All  his  life's  hopes  and  happiness  with  mine. 
And  with  him  win,  dear  daughter  of  the  sky  ! 
Handmaid  of  Heaven  1  immortal  Piety ! 
Thy  visitings,  and  joy  to  see  thee  bring 
In  sisterly  embrace,  wing  folding  wing, 
Meek  Faith,  sweet  Hope,  and  Charity  divine, 
With  thee  to  consecrate  that  home  a  shrine 
Among  the  holiest  where  the  adorer  kneels, 
Listening  the  coming  of  thy  chariot  wheels. 
Then  the  gay  sportive  dreams,  enwreathing 

now 
Their  frolic  fancies    round    the    slumberer's 

brow, 

1* 


18  YOUNG   AMERICA. 

Should  yield  to  dreams  of  angels  entering  in 
His  young  heart's  Eden,  unprofaned  by  sin ; 
Then  slwmld  his  pleasant  couch  of  leaves  and 

flowers 

Yield  willing  homage  to  the  bliss  of  bowers 
More  beautiful  than  hers,  and  only  given 
In  visions  of  the  scenery  of  Heaven ; 
Then  should  the  music  now  around  him  heard, 
The  wind-harp's  song,  the  song  of  bee  and 

bird, 

Yield  to  thy  chorused  carollings  sublime, 
And    sky-endomed    cathedral's    chaunt    and 

chime. 


AMERICA.  19 

And  then  the  longing  of  his  life  should  be 
To  praise,  to  love,  to  worship  thine  and  thee, 
And  when,  my  pastoral  task  of  duty  done, 
I  rest  beneath  the  cold  sepulchral  stone, 
Be  his  the  delegated  power  to  grace, 
In  surpliced  sanctity,  thy  Altar  place ; 
To  feed  thy  chosen  flock  with  heavenly  food, 
Be   their    kind    Shepherd,   gentle,   generous, 

good, 

And,  in  the  language  of  the  Minstrel's  lay, 
"  Lure  them  to  brighter  worlds,  and  lead  the 

way." 


20  YOUNG   AMEEICA. 

Hark !  a  bugle's  echo  comes, 
Hark !  a  fife  is  singing, 

Hark !  the  roll  of  far-off  drums 
Through  the  air  is  ringing ! 


The    mourner    turns — looks — listens,   and    is 

gone, 
In  quiet  heedlessness  the  Boy  sleeps  on. 


YOUNG   AMERICA.  21 


OF 

UNIVERSITY 


in. 

Nearer  the  bugle's  echo  comes, 

Nearer  the  fife  is  singing, 
Near  and  more  near  the  roll  of  drums 

Through  the  air  is  ringing. 


War !  it  is  thy  music  proud, 

Wakening  the  brave-hearted, 
Memories — hopes — a  glorious  crowd, 
At  its  call  have  started. 


22  YOUNG   AMERICA. 

Memories  of  our  sires  of  old, 
Who,  oppression-driven, 

High  their  rainbow  flag  unrolled 
To  the  sun  and  sky  of  heaven. 


Memories  of  the  true  and  brave, 
"Who,  at  Honor's  bidding, 

Stept,  their  Country's  life  to  save, 
To  war  as  to  their  wedding. 


Memories  of  many  a  battle  plain, 
Where,  their  life-blood  flowing, 

Made  green  the  grass,  and  gold  the  grain, 
Above  their  grave-mounds  growing. 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  23 

Jj0pes — that  the  children  of  their  prayers, 

With  them  in  valor  vieing, 
May  do  as  noble  deeds  as  theirs, 

In  living  and  in  dying. 


And  make,  for  children  yet  to  come, 
The  land  of  their  bequeathing 

The  imperial  and  the  peerless  home 
Of  happiest  beings  breathing. 


For  this  the  warrior-path  we  tread, 

The  battle-path  of  duty, 
And  change,  for  field  and  forest  bed, 

Our  bowers  of  love  and  beauty. 


24:  YOUNG   AMERICA. 


Music !  bid  thy  minstrels  play 
No  tunes  of  grief  or  sorrow, 

Let  them  cheer  the  living  brave  to-day, 
They  may  wail  the  dead  to-morrow. 


Such  were  the  words,   unvoiced   by  lip    or 

tongue, 

The  thought-en  woven  themes,  the  mental  song 
Of  One,  high  placed,  beside  the  slumberer's 

bower, 
In  the  stern,  silent  chieftainship  of  power. 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  25 

A  War-king,  seated  on  his  saddle  throne, 
A  listener  to  no  counsels  but  his  own, 
The  soldier  leader  of  a  soldier  band, 
Whose  prescient  skill,  quick  eye,  and  brief 

command, 

Have  won  for  him,  on  many  a  field  of  fame, 
The  immortality  of  a  victor's  name. 
His  troops,  in  thousands,  now  are  marching 

by, 

Heart-homage  seen  in  each  saluting  eye, 
And  sword,  and  lance,  and  banner,  bowing 

down 

In  tributary  grace,  before  his  bright  renown. 
And  on,  and  on,  as  rank  on  rank  appears, 
Come,  fast  and  loud,  the  thrice-repeated  cheers 
From  voices  of  brave  men  whose  life-long  cry 


ZO  YOUNG   AMERICA. 

Has  been  with  him  to  live,  for  him  to  die. 
Their  plumes  and  pennons  dancing  in   the 

breeze, 

With  leaves  and  flowers  of  overarching  trees, 
Timing  their  steps  to  tunes  of  flute  and  fife, 
And  trump  and  drum,  the  joy  of  soldier  life, 
"While  o'er  them  wave,  proud  banner  of  the 

free! 

Thy  sky-born  stars  and  glorious  colors  three, 
All  beauteous  in  each  interwoven  hue 
Of  summer's  rainbow,  spanning  earth  and  sea, 
The  rose's  red  and  white,  the  violet's  heavenly 

blue, 

Emblems  of  valor,  purity  and  truth, 
Long  may  they  charm  the  air  in  ever-smiling 

youth. 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  27 

And  now  the  rearmost  files  are  hurrying  by, 
Closing  the  gorgeous  scene  of  pomp  and  pa 
geantry; 

And  far,  far  off,  on  wings  of  distance  borne, 
Speed  the  faint  echoes  of  the  trump  and  horn, 
Plaintively  breathing  partings  and  farewells, 
Solemn  and  sad  as  tones  of  tocsin  bells, 
But  triumphed  o'er  by  voices  that  prolong 
The  wild  war  music  of  the  manlier  song, 
That  bids  the  soldier's  heart  beat  quick  and 

gay, 

The  song  of  "O'er  the  hills  and  far  away." 


28  YOUNG  AMEEICA. 

And  now,  beside  the  slumberer's  couch  of 


His  parting  web  of  thought  the  warrior  chief 
tain  weaves. 


How  sweetly  the  Boy  in  the  beauty  is  sleep 
ing 
Of  Life's  sunny  morning  of  hope  and  of 

youth, 
May  his  guardian  angels,  their  watch  o'er  him 

keeping, 

Keep  his  evening  and  noon  in  the  pathways 
of  truth. 


YOUNG   AMEEICA.  29 

All  me!  what  delight  it  would  give  me  to 

wake  him, 
And  lead  him  wherever  my  life  banners 

wave, 
O'er  the  pathways  of  glory  and  honor  to  take 

him, 

And  teach  him  the  lore  of  the  bold  and  the 
brave ; 


And  when  the  war-clouds   and  their  fierce 

storm  of  water, 

O'er  the  land  that  we  love  their  outpourings 
shall  cease, 


30  YOUNG   AMERICA. 


Bid  him  bear  to  her  Ark,  from  her  last  field 

of  slaughter, 

Upon  Victory's  wings,  the  green  olive  of 
Peace; 


And  when  the  death-note  of  my  bugle  has 

sounded, 
And  memorial  tears    are   embalming   my 

name, 
By  young  hearts  like  his  may  the  grave  be 

surrounded 

Where  I  sleep  my  last  sleep  in  the  sun 
beams  of  fame. 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  31 

Summoned  to  duty  by  his  charger's  neighs, 
The  only  summons  that  his  pride  obeys, 
He  bows  his  farewell  blessing,  and  is  gone, 
In  quiet  heedlessness  the  Boy  sleeps  on. 


32  YOUNG    AMERICA. 


1Y. 

Merrily  bounds  the  morning  bark 

Along  the  summer  sea, 
Merrily  mounts  the  morning  lark 

The  topmost  twig  on  tree, 


YOUNG   AMEE1CA.  33 

Merrily  smiles  the  morning  rose 

The  morning  sun  to  see, 
And  merrily,  merrily  greets  the  rose 

The  honey-seeking  bee. 
But  merrier,  merrier  far  are  these, 
Who  bring,  on  the  wings  of  the  morning 

breeze, 

A  music  sweeter  than  her  own, 
A  happy  group  of  loves  and  graces, 
Graceful  forms  and  lovely  faces, 

All  in  gay  delight  outflown ; 
Outflown  from  their  school-room  cages, 
School-room  rules,  and  school-room  pages, 
Lovely  in  their  teens  and  tresses, 
Summer  smiles,  and  summer  dresses, 
2 


34  YOUNG   AMERICA. 

f 

Joyous  in  their  dance  and  song, 
"With  sweet  sisterly  caresses, 

Arm  in  arm  they  speed  along ; 
"  (Now  pursuing,  now  retreating, 

Now  in  circling  troops  they  meet, 
To  brisk  notes  in  cadence  beating, 

Glance  their  many  twinkling  feet. 
Slow  melting  strains  their  Queen's  approach 

declare. 

Where'er  she  turns  the  Graces  homage  pay, 
With  arms  sublime,  that  float  upon  the  air,)" 

She  comes — the  gentle  Lady  of  my  Lay, 
Well  pleased  that,  for  her  welcome  to  prepare, 
I  borrow  music  from  the  Muse  of  Gray. 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  35 

His  heroine  was  the  lovely  Paphian  Queen, 
Mine  seems  the  Huntress  of  the  Sylvan  scene, 
The  chaste  Diana,  with  her  Nymphs,  in  gay 
And  graceful  beauty  keeping  holiday. 
Sudden  she  pauses  in  the  race  of  joy, 
Around  the  Cradle  Bower  where  sleeps  the 

Boy, 

And,  with  a  sunny  smile  of  gladness,  sees 
His  golden  ringlets,  on  the  dancing  breeze, 
Shading  his  eyelids — and,  with  quick  delight, 
Bids  her  wild  nymphs  to  wing  their  merry 

flight 
Home  to  their  morning  nests,  and  leave  her 

care 
To  watch  the  slumberer  in  his    rose-leafed 

chair. 


00  YOUNG  AMEEICA. 

He,  in  his  beauty,  to  her  fancy  seems 
To  be  the  young  Endymion  of  her  dreams 
Of  yester  evening,  when,  alone  and  still, 
Waiting  the  coming  of  the  whip-poor-will, 
Our  climate's  nightingale,  her  garden  bird, 
From  lips  unseen,  unknown,  this  whispered 
song  she  heard : 


"  The  summer  winds  are  wandering  here, 
In  mountain  freshness,  pure  and  free, 

And  all  that  to  the  eye  are  dear 
In  rock  and  torrent,  flower  and  tree, 


YOUNG   AMERICA.  37 

Upon  the  gazing  stranger  come, 
Till,  in  his  starlight  dreams  at  even, 

It  seems  another  Eden-home, 
Reared  by  the  word — the  breath  of  Heaven. 


To-morrow — and  the  stranger's  gone, 

And  other  scenes,  as  bright  as  this, 
May  win  it  from  his  bosom  soon, 

And  dim  its  wild- wood  loveliness. 
But  ever  round  this  spot  his  heart 

Will  be — while  Memory's  leaves  are  green, 
The  fairy  scene  may  be  forgot, 

But  not  the  Fairy  of  the  scene. 


38  YOUNG  AMERICA. 

The  song  she  sang,  the  lip  that  breathed  it, 

The  cheek  of  rose,  the  speaking  eye, 
The  brow  of  snow,  the  hair  that  wreathed  it, 

In  their  young  life  and  purity, 
Will  dwell  within  his  heart  among 

His  holiest,  longest  cherished  things, 
Themes  worthy  of  a  worthier  song, 

Dear  Lady  of  the  mountain  springs." 


UNIVEKSITY 


YOUNG   AMERICA. 

And  who  is  she — the  Fairy  of  the  scene 
A  bright-eyed,  beautiful  maiden  of  eighteen, 
Lovely  and   learned,  and  well    "skilled  to 

rule," 

The  Lady-Mentor  of  a  village  school, 
"  Teaching  young  Girls'  ideas  how  to  shoot ;" 
A  tree  of  knowledge,  rich  in  flowers  and  fruit, 
A  model  heroine  in  mien  and  mind, 
An  "  Admirable  Crichton  "  crinolined, 
And  author  of  a  charming  Book  that  sings 
Delightfully  concerning  wedding  rings, 
Tracing  the  progress  of  the  lightning  dart 
Between  the  bridal  finger  and  the  heart, 
And  proving  the  arithmetic  untrue 
Which  teaches  us  that  one  and  one  make  two, 


40  YOUNG  AMERICA. 

Whereas  the  marriage  ring  is  worn  to  prove 
That  two  are  one — the  Algebra  of  Love, 


Such  is  the  Lady  of  my  song,  and  now 
She  gazes  on  her  young  Endymion's  brow, 
And,  fancying — by    a    sudden    thought    be 
guiled, 

Herself  a  mother  bending  o'er  her  child, 
Unconsciously  imprints  upon  his  eyes 
A  kiss — brimfull  of  all  the  charities, 
Sacredly  secret,  eloquently  mute, 
Yet  "  musical  as  is  Apollo's  lute," 
Of  power  to  lure  a  swan  from  off  the  lake, 
Or  wooing  blue-bird  from  an  April  tree, 


YOUNG  AMEEICA.  4:1 

Upsprings  the  Boy,  exclaiming,  I'm  awake ! 
And  shakes  his  golden  locks  in  frolic  glee. 


One  look — and,  like  an  arrow  from  the  string, 
Away  the  maiden  went,  on  laughing  wing, 
Graciously  leaving,  ere  she  homeward  flew, 
On  the  green  turf  impearled  with  drops  of 

dew, 

Farewell  impressions.of  the  prettiest  foot 
That  ever  graced  and  charmed  a  Gaiter  Boot. 
2* 


YOUNG  AMERICA. 


V. 

The  awakened  Boy,  not  fond  of  early  rising, 
Resumed  his  pillow,  thus  soliloquizing : 

"  That  Lady's  pleasant  smile  and  ruby  lip 
Might  hope  to  win  my  heart's  companionship, 
But    for    the  memory  of  that  morn  which 

proved 
That  he  is  happiest  who  has  never  loved. 


YOUNG  AMEEIOA.  4:3 

That  morn,  when  I,  within  a  Lady's  bower. 
Offered    my  heart,  hand,  and   a   handsome 

dower 

To  ONE  who,  to  my  great  and  sad  surprise, 
Told  me,  with  mischief  in  her  laughing  eyes, 
That  she  was  not  at  all  inclined  to  marry, 

And  added,  in  a  most  provoking  tone, 
That  YOUNG  AMERICA  had  better  '  tarry 

At  Jericho  until  his  beard  was  grown,' 
And  like  his  Eagle,  wear  upon  his  wings 
Feathers — before  he  proffered  wedding  rings ; 
That  purpling  grapes  looked  lovely  on  their 

vines, 

But  she  preferred  them  perfected  in  wines, 
That  on  my  cheek  the  down  was  fair  to  see, 
But  she  admired  the  full-bio wnfcworis, 


4A  YOUNG  AMERICA. 

And  rather  liked  in  men  a  modest  pride 
Of  moustache — if  artistically  dyed." 


She  then,  dismissing  me  in  queenly  state, 
Locked  of  her  Eden  the  unfeeling  gate, 
And  I — a  victim  to  Love's  cruel  dart, 
Went — to  the  Opera — with  a  broken  heart ! 


Along  thy  peopled  solitude — Broadway ! 
I  walked,  a  desolate  man ;  day  after  day, 
With  downcast  eyes  and  melancholy  brow, 

Until  a  lady's  letter  asked  me  why 
I  passed  her  ladyship  without  a  bow ; 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  45 

To  which  I  sent  the  following  reply, 
My  earliest-born  attempt  at  poetry : 


"  The  heart  hath  sorrows  of  its  own, 

And  griefs  it  veils  from  all, 
And  tears,  close-hidden  from  the  world, 

In  solitude  will  fall, 
And  when  its  thoughts  of  agony 

Upon  the  bosom  lie, 
Even  Beauty  in  her  loveliness 

May  pass  unheeded  by. 


4:6  YOUNG  AMEEICA. 

"  'Tis  only  on  the  happy 

That  she  never  looks  in  vain, 
To  them  her  smiles  are  rainbow  hopes, 

New-born  of  summer  rain, 
And  their  glad  hearts  will  worship  her, 

As  one  whose  home  is  heaven ; 
A  being  of  a  brighter  world, 

To  earth  a  season  given. 


"  That  time  with  me  has  been  and  gone, 

And  life's  best  music  now 
Is  but  the  winter's  wind  that  bends 
The  leafless  forest  bough. 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  4:7 

And  I  would  shun,  if  that  could  be, 
The  light  of  young  blue  eyes, 

They  bring  back  hours  I  would  forget, 
And  painful  memories. 


"  Yet,  lady,  though  too  few  and  brief, 

There  are  bright  moments  still, 
"When  I  can  free  my  prisoned  thoughts, 

And  wing  them  where  I  will, 
And  then  thy  smiles  come  o'er  my  heart 

Like  sunbeams  o'er  the  sea, 
And  I  can  bow  as  once  I  bowed 

When  all  was  well  with  me." 


4:8  YOUNG  AMERICA. 

And  now  farewell  to  Rhyme !  and  welcome 

Reason ! 

'Tis  past — my  early  manhood's  pleasant  sea 
son; 

If  morning  dreams,  that  visit  our  closed  eyes, 
Changed,  when  we  wake  to  Life's  realities, 
I  might  become  a  SOLDIER  of  renown, 
Or  wear  a  PREACHER'S  or  a  TEACHER'S  gown ; 
For  all  three  in  my  dreams  since  rose  the  sun, 
Have  sought  to  make  me  their  adopted  one, 
Destined  to  run  the  race  that  each  has  run ; 
But  my  Ambition's  leaves  no  more  are  green, 
In  one  brief  month  my  age  will  be  FIFTEEN. 
I've  seen  the  world,  and  by  the  world  been 
seen, 


YOUNG  AMERICA.  4:9 

And  now  am  speeding  fast  upon  the  way 
To  the  calm,  quiet  evening  of  my  day ; 
There  but  remains  one  promise  to  fulfil, 
I  bow  myself  obedient  to  its  will, 
And  am  prepared  to  settle  down  in  life 
By  wooing — winning — wedding  A  EICH  WIFE. 


